Industrial Construction Project First For City In Some Years

Groundbreaking is scheduled this month for what one city official has called Allentown's first new industrial project in years, according to the developer, Arbor Group of Easton.

The Arbor Business Center, a 48,000-square-foot flex building, will be located on S. 28th Street off Emaus Avenue close to the prospective route of Interstate 78.

Mr. Nugget Inc., a distributor of frozen fish nuggets, has leased 18,000 square feet, and others have shown interest in the remaining space, according to Mike Adams of Feist and Feist Realty Corp., Whitehall, the broker for the available space.

"We are enthused about it," said Donald Bernhard, the city's director of community development. "It is the first new industrial construction project in the city in many years."

Construction should be completed by mid-July, according to Peter Ardolino, the managing partner of Arbor Group. The general contractor is North Star Construction Management Inc. of Breinigsville. Total project cost is about $2 million, said Ardolino, with financing provided by Bell Savings Bank of Upper Darby.

A flex building, said Ardolino, is a shell building, usually one floor, that can be converted to office, manufacturing or warehouse space according to the needs of the tenants.

He expects the building to lease out quickly because of its proximity to I-78 and because its location in a tax-abatement will result in relatively low rental rates.

The city established the tax-abatement area to encourage economic growth by waiving property taxes for three years on land improvements, said Bernhard.